Sarah's Journey to Japan: September 2012

So most of those who are friends with me on Facebook would think oh she wrote something about a party! Yes this is partly about it but, only 25 % about that!

So, some of the exchangers here in Kobe decided to get together to celebrate 2 of the inbounds’ birthdays that are coming up! For lunch we went to a Brazilian restaurant and had some of the most interesting food EVER!!! (The thing I had trouble with, CHICKEN HEART!) Anyways after that we went on a Ferris wheel ride!! That was awesome! After we walked to karaoke and sung our hearts out! After that is was time to return home, my curfew: 9 pm!

So, the people that were left, walked to the train station, I was the first one to leave the group and so, I swiped my card and was on my way up the stairs and looked up at the board that told times and saw that the train I needed to be on had left! Well I reached the top of the stairs and saw the train! I was thrilled!! I jumped aboard the train and sat down! Well I sat and sat, I started to get worried and was texting my host sister telling her we were still sitting at the station and I had no idea what was going on, she didn’t either. So I got off the train to talk to the conductor to see when we were to leave and some guy gave me the eyes (but like flirty and he was with another girl, kind of freaked me out! :P), and the doors closed, but then I must have been just close enough that it sensed me and opened up, so I got back on hopping I wouldn’t be late!

So we got to the next train station Motomachi, We stopped again, and some people had gotten on and we sat and sat! There was a guy next to me, kind of young but not school boy, he looked more college aged, and he kept looking at me and we caught each other eyes every once in a while, but we just sat. At this point it was close to 9 o’clock and I still had about 6 more train stations to stop at before it was my stop, I was furiously texting my host sister apologizing since they were already at the station to pick me up, and I was scared, tired, cold, and alone. So it was rounding near 9: 30-45 and my host sister had texted me that there had been an accident with a train and all trains were stopped none were going! So, the whole time I had thought this was normal because it was a holiday and we were just waiting for more people, and accident had happened. Well, there were tons of announcements made, of course none that I understood, and I would look up towards the guy who was sitting next to me, and we met eyes and I gave a questioning look. He just looked at me. I was tired and was ready to be home! Now it was rounding 10 o’clock and another announcement came on and of course I wasn’t paying attention and I looked over and the guy next to me said “3 minutes left”.

I was in shock that he talked to me but quickly replied “domo arrigoto!” (Thank you very much!) and very soon after that we were on our way! Now this guy and I weren’t like close sitting together, the train wasn’t crowded so there was just enough space for one person in between us, and when we stopped at another station someone filled that spot, but before the person I looked over and smiled at him and he smiled back, (what I thought meant sorry he didn’t slide over to sit next to me smile!) Well we all interpret things differently! When it was his stop, he got up looked at me and I said, “Domo arrigoto gozaimasuta!” (The very polite way of saying thank you very much!)

He looked at me and said “you are welcome! “ I wanted to hug him soo badly, not weirdly, but because I was scared and foreign and had no idea what was going on, and he talked to me and told me 3 minutes, and even though I was creped out at first when he was smiling at me (he was actually really cute!), he talked to me and I felt okay. So this post tonight goes out to that mystery guy that really created a day that I will never forget because of the courage he had to talk to me! Thank you! J I hope something good happens to him. So between the guy and the party ( mostly the guy), this is my day to remember, God bless everyone!

I will end with some pictures from today!

Sayonara,

Sarah A. Cook
Ps. I ended up getting home about 10:30 pm! :)